Dill Kadubu Recipe | How to Make Kadubu

Vegan Dill Kadubu Recipe

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Shepi is a fragrant, yummy kadubu from the Konkan region of coastal Karnataka. My mother shared a story with me the other day. She told me that fishermen would often be at sea for up to 15 days. On their return, their wives would welcome them with a feast, which included this sweet idli. Dill leaves are highly nutritious. They have been used for centuries to relieve menstrual pain.

Dill idli is traditionally made with a combination of rice, dill leaves, coconut and jaggery. To make it healthier, we have converted it into a kadubu, steaming unpolished rice with date syrup with dill, and adding fresh nuts afterwards.

There are many variations of this recipe – without jaggery or with bananas even. Go crazy with your own twist! This is called Mandas in Konkani.

Recipe courtesy : Roopa Kharvi, Gangolli 

Whole Food Plant Based Dill Kadubu Recipe

Course: Festival Recipe; Dessert in Course 3 (Grain Dish) at Lunch & Dinner Meals
Cuisine: Udupi Recipe from Coastal Karnataka in South India
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 people

INGREDIENTS

1 cup Red or brown rice soaked
4 tbsp Flaxseed Powder
1 cup Date Syrup
1 cup Dill Leaves chopped
1 cup Water
4 tbsp Cashews, powdered

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Soak equal quantity of red and brown rice (or you could just use one variety, just make sure it is unpolished rice) in water overnight, or at least for 5-6 hours.
2. Blend soaked rice with water as required. The rice should only be ground until it is coarse broken rice, and not to a smooth paste.
3. Mix in flaxseed powder, date syrup, and dill leaves. Add water as required to get idli batter consistency.
4. Pour the batter into idli plates and steam cook for 15-20 minutes.
5. Once idlis are cooked, take them out and let them cool completely. Garnish with cashew powder and serve fresh!

Plant Based Chef Pro Tip for Best Dill Kadubu Recipe

1. There are two ways to serve this dish:
   1. Cut idlis into small pieces, add cashew powder and serve.
   2. Pulse idlis in mixie, mix with cashew powder, and shape it into kadubu, or modaka-like dumplings. If blending, use 3-4 pulses of one second each to make it fluffy, otherwise it will become a paste.
2. Serve with a hearty spoonful of date syrup!

Nutrition Science Highlights for WFPB Dill Kadubu Recipe

1. Why not honey, sugar or jaggery? Sugar and Jaggery are processed foods. Although jaggery is healthier than brown sugar, which, in turn, is healthier than white sugar, all forms of processed foods are unhealthy when compared to whole plant foods. Honey is healthwise as good as jaggery, which isn't saying much. In addition to not being very healthy, honey production kills millions of bees every year, affecting our environment adversely. The best sweetener alternative is a whole fruit or dry fruit. The easiest method of using these is date syrup, as it does not involve peeling or chopping.
2. Why whole grains? Whole grains are healthier than refined grains such as white rice, refined flours, maida, rava, etc., as the bran layer is intact, with all its vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Whole grains have been found to be protective against a whole range of chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and lifestyle-related cancers.
3. Why cool grains? When cooked grains are allowed to cool on the counter or in the fridge, the starch crystallises to form resistant starch. This can be eaten by our good gut bacteria and also reduces the glycemic index (the rate at which glucose is absorbed), making the whole grain even healthier. For the same reason, parboiled whole grains can be used as well.
4. Why flaxseed powder? Whole grains are super healthy foods, but whole grain flours, not so much. Because of a smaller particle size, the starch from ground up grains gets absorbed much faster than from intact whole grains, causing a glucose spike and insulin spike in the blood. This is why we recommend coarsely ground whole grains as against finely ground whole grains. When we cook dishes using whole grain flours, it is wise to add an ingredient that makes the dish sticky and slows down absorption. Flaxseed is a perfect addition for making rotis. In addition, flaxseed contains high levels of omega 3 fats and cancer-fighting lignans. For the same reason, eating grain flour dishes with pulses and legumes, such as roti and dal, is a great idea too.
5. Why not dairy? Dairy products have been found to be associated with increased risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity, asthma, PCOS, and heart disease. We can still enjoy our milk, cream, and butter though - as long as they are made from whole plant foods!
6. Why nuts instead of oil? Whole foods are healthier than processed foods. When nuts are pressed and oil is extracted, fiber and phytonutrients are lost, along with many other nutrients. Therefore, whole nuts are much healthier than oils, whether cold-pressed or refined. In addition, they provide the oil content we need to absorb fat-soluble phytonutrients from other whole plant foods! This may be why nuts are used to garnish nearly every traditional Indian dish!